* Amazingly, Blake Bueter graded out the best of any offensive lineman for either team in pass protection at 79.0.

MSU's pass protection grades (for those with 12 snaps or more)

WINNING
1. Connor Heyward 84.6 (35 snaps)
2. Blake Bueter 79.5 (52 snaps)
3. Matt Dotson 75.8 (32 snaps)
4. Nick Samac 75.6 (75 snaps)

FUNCTIONAL
5. Adam Berghorst 63.9 (13 snaps)
6. Jordon Simmons 54.8 (36 snaps)

LOSING
7. AJ Arcuri (54.2)
8. Matt Carrick (49.7)
9. Kevin Jarvis (44.6)
10. JD Duplain (35.8) (44 snaps)

* Note that Arcuri and Jarvis are going to have lesser grades due to going against Paye and Hutchinson. Paye and Hutchinson never got home, but any time a pass rusher gets a half step advantage on a pass protector, it's a negative grade for the pass protector.

In the end, these grades likely don't reflect the way Michigan State coaches viewed the performances of MSU's offensive tackles.

Bottom line is Lombardi wasn't sacked and was hurried only eight times.

These grades are extremely hard on the o-tackles, considering Michigan State allowed zero sacks and few hurries or hits.

I'm sticking to my Dantonio-verbiage categories of Championship, Winning, Functional and Losing in translating PFF's grades. I am 100 percent sure MSU's coaches wouldn't view Arcuri's performance in pass pro last Saturday as a losing performance, but I'm sticking with those words to translate the numbers, for now. For conversation purposes. These numbers aren't scientific. Add your own plus-minus margin of error if you like.

I caught up with my friend Tom Kakert over at the Hawkeye Report for a Opponent Perspective Q&A. And Tom had some good insight on this weekend's game.

Any time Iowa has a couple of losses people start asking Ferentz if he's lost his team. Those questions probably aren't fair, and they are always too simplistic. Yes, Iowa has been rocked by off the field controversy. And there probably are some undercurrents simmering in the program given the social justice issues that have cast the program in a negative light.

Losing Holiday Bowl MVP due to a DUI doesn't help and having a first-year starter at QB makes it tough to navigate adversity that comes with an 0-2 start in Big Ten play.

I do agree with Tom that this seems to be precisely the spot where a cornered team fights the hardest. And I'd expect nothing less from Iowa this weekend.

If Spencer Petras is the guy for Iowa at QB, this is his time to take control of the offense. Iowa can help him by running the football effectively.

Here is my notebook from Tucker's press conference today.

Enjoy.
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Here is my notebook on the Michigan State defensive line. Some good stuff from Burton today.

One of the things I really appreciate about Ron Burton is how much he focuses on the next thing. What can we do better. Burton is never negative. He's upbeat positive, intsructive, and demanding. But he never lets guys rest on their laurels, which is critical. I don't see this as a group that is gonna get consistent four-man pressure, but accepting that is no way to get the job done. I can tell that Burton likes these guys.

Biggest developmental note from today is Burton confirming that Kyle King is working inside at d-tackle.

Burton said that Barrow is the closest of the young guys to getting on the travel roster.

Any Info?

Myself, Corey, and Sedrick Irvin Sr. broke down the demolition of the Michigan brand that took place yesterday in the delusional confines of Ann Arbor.

I had a lot of anger against Michigan that I had to get out, as you can see by the rant I go on in the beginning of the podcast. After that, we touch on the identity that MSU has crafted and why the Spartans won this game, along with a lengthy discussion on the effects of this W on recruiting.

This is most fun episode I've ever recorded, I'd highly recommend you check it out. Hopefully we channeled your thoughts as a fanbase and put them out there via our platform.
I know I've been fed up about a lot of the pro-UM talk in the media this summer and the mirage that is the Michigan Football program. I wish I would've touched on Scam Newton (Joe Milton) a little more, but there was too much to say about Jim Harbaugh and recruiting rankings instead.

Corey put out a lot of feelers after this game and he spoke on the overall recruiting momentum in a general sense in this episode. Sedrick also gave his insight on why there are specific elements of this gameplan that also make selling points for early-PT. Lots of great discussion.

As always, search SPARTAN SPOTLIGHT on the major streaming services. Here is the embedded link for those that would rather listen in-browser:
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Also, if you missed the first episode we had with Swervin' Irvin, check that out here. He dove into the meaning of the rivalry and gave amazing insight from a player's perspective in the episode. For some reason, it was our least-streamed episode despite it being a highly-insightful one. So give it a shot lol.

Ron Burton is up right now.

He is asked about the guys behind Naquan and Jacob

Burton says that Camper is getting better. He says he is stronger, flashing on the field. Said that they are pleasantly surprised with what they are getting from him right now.

Burtons says that Mallory got 25 plays in this game. They were really pleased with how he played vs. Michigan.

Burton says that Jalen Hunt had a good game against Michigan and has a big upside

This is the unedited Part I.

I will get into the micro personnel and the "add it all up" in a few minutes:

The Pre-Snap Read: Michigan State vs. Michigan

By Jim Comparoni
SpartanMag.co


East Lansing, Mich. - It’s rare to see a team enter a game in crisis management mode from the opening seconds, but that will be the case for Michigan State in this game at Michigan on Saturday.

And there’s a path by which the Spartans can properly manage the crisis and keep this game competitive. I would say there’s less than 35 percent chance of this game remaining competitive, but that might be more of a chance than you might read or hear elsewhere. By competitive, I mean keeping the score within 14 points heading into the fourth quarter.

FINAL ANALYSIS FIRST:

* The Spartans have no shot of remaining competitive if their offensive line is as atrocious as it was last week. Might it be better this week? It would be hard to be worse. Meanwhile the defensive front is more talented this week, especially at defensive end.

* If the offensive line gets dominated and Michigan State has no run game, and problems with pass protection in passing situation after passing situation, don’t expect Rocky Lombardi to pull a David Copperfield. Magicians don’t play football.

Lombardi was quite good last week, better than I anticipated. You can win Big Ten games with him, especially if you can get a run game going and avoid last week’s count of turnovers. But he’s not going to rescue you to victory. But he’s better than I expected, which changes the face of the season and the future a bit, in my mind, for now. He can become the man, as a game-managing gamer.

But this game will be very difficult to manage if he doesn’t get help from teammates. Now, Michigan State needs to see OTHER Spartans play like we don’t know they can - which is something I say about this Michigan State-Michigan series all too often.

* Another thing I say all too often about this series is that Michigan State first of all merely needs to get first downs. Move the ball to midfield. Then punt. Then make Michigan go 80 yards. And try to prevent Michigan from popping off 70-yard plays in the run game like they did last week for a pair of TD drives (one early and one late).

Sounds simple. But first downs are the first step toward staying competitive. But it will be difficult if the offensive line doesn’t at least improve to a MAC level after the FCS-level problems we saw last week in the run game.

* The o-line’s pass protection was pretty good last week. Now, the pass rush personnel it will face on Saturday will be among the best in the nation.

MSU’s RB and TE “help” in pass protection was non-existent last week. Mel Tucker says communication will be a big factor in this game. Read: It was terrible last week, and needs to find a better frequency this week. But that’s the type of thing that is correctable from a bad first week to the second week.

* The benefit of playing this game early in the season, if there is one for Michigan State, is that the Spartans still believe. They’re still bushy-tailed.

"This might be the most intense week of Michigan prep I've had since I've been here,” senior defensive end Drew Beesley said last night on the Mel Tucker radio show. “And I've had some pretty intense Michigan Weeks over my 5 years here. Make what you want with that."

That means they’re still bushy-tailed. That’s nice, for now. They’re buying in, they have energy, they aren’t banged-up (although WR Tre Mosley’s condition is unknown after leaving last week’s game with a lower body injury).

They still believe. They’re in it to win it. That’ll count for something during the initial collisions. They won’t be as easily demoralized as might be the case if these teams meet in December.

* As for the short notes: Michigan’s offensive line was a big, surprising plus last week. They will match up against a fair-to-middling Michigan State defensive front.

MSU’s run defense was good last year, and held Michigan to 83 yards rushing.

MSU’s run defense seems pretty good this year, but lives more dangerously than in past years, with more use of single-safety deep coverages, and more eyeball attention given to slot receivers than the tackle box.

That was fine last week against Rutgers, holding the Scarlet Knights to 50 net yards and 1.3 per carry. But the eyeball test shows us that new defensive tackles Naquan Jones and Jacob Slade were just “guys.” They weren’t easily displaced but they weren’t playmakers. Michigan State will need Jones’ fuse to be better-lit.

Inside linebacker Antjuan Simmons is quality.

Middle linebacker Noah Harvey was functional last year at the end of the season. But there were two TD runs by Rutgers inside the 5-yard line last week when Harvey seemed to flat-out not know what to do, in terms of reading keys and fitting. That was a surprise. He’s a fourth-year junior who had 14 tackles in the Pinstripe Bowl. He can play football. But he was fogged out last week. It was clear that some players are still adapting to the schemes on both sides of the ball.

It looked like Green-White Game type of execution on the OL and at LB last week a few times, and essentially that’s where this team is right now in terms of installation. They are two scrimmages and one public outing into the Tucker era.

Harvey is better than that, and he demonstrated it in the fourth quarter when Michigan State went to more one-gapping schemes, similar to what they did last year.

If he improves, the front six will improve.

* That’s the next question. Will Michigan State play the 4-2-5 that it played last week? That’s the norm for new d-coordinator Scottie Hazelton.

Last week, the seventh man in the box for Michigan State was 210-pound safety Xavier Henderson. He was good and comfortable at the linebacker level when Michigan State went with a single safety deep, which was quite often.

Now, can he and Michigan State hang with that type of alignment against Michigan? Michigan has some hammers on offense. Their o-line is good, and varied, with nice use of traps and powers and pin-and-pull. They supplement that with Ben Mason, a part time blocking back and part time H-back. He’s a hammer, who saw action on roughly half of the snaps last week.

Michigan has had excellent WR talent in recent years (forever, really). But they are more unproven in that area than usual this year. They have talent, it’s just new talent.

For now, Michigan looks like it wants to be more of a power run game outfit. Last week, in the first half, in 27 offensive snaps (not counting the two-minute drill at the end of the half), Michigan went with a 3-WR personnel group on only seven of those 27 snaps. That means Michigan State went two-TE, or two-back, or heavier, on 20 of the 27 snaps.

Michigan had a beautiful lead trap for a 70-yard TD by RB Charbonnet early in the game. Later, Michigan had a 66-yarder by RB Haskins on a play that wasn’t well-blocked, but the RB bounced outside the pile.

Michigan deserves those yards, of course. In Michigan’s other 28 run attempts (not counting victory formation), the Wolverines averaged a more human 4.4 yards per carry (120 yards).

The first trick is to prevent Michigan from popping off big plays such as those 70 and 66-yard runs, and the strip-sack TD, and the 60-yard kickoff return or whatever it was off a failed squib, and don’t help them with a foiled fake punt in at your own 25-yard line.

Michigan’s pass rush dominated the fourth quarter. But Minnesota “won” quite a few plays on this night, churning out 326 yards of offense and 21 first downs.

Michigan’s run defense yielded 129 yards. Not a terrible number, but Michigan didn’t hold up physically at the point of attack on a number of off-tackle runs. Michigan isn’t strong (or physically big) in that category. However, Michigan State doesn’t seem to have the tools to do anything about it - from what we’ve seen so far.

* Getting back to the 4-2-5 question: With the way Michigan State plays with a single safety deep, and linebackers that are either attacking with run blitzes or getting fogged out, the Spartans operate on a highwire trapeze without a net more so than in the past.

In the past, Michigan State liked to keep two safeties deep (although not all that deep). Michigan State “played square” with the front seven eyeballs on the run game, and the slot WR given a free release.

Opponents used to pepper MSU’s slot area with bubbles and hitches and slants. Michigan State was willing to concede that in order to (theoretically) stifle the run, prevent big plays, and - if you get to the red zone - stiffen up inside the 20 and make you kick field goals.

That often worked. Sometimes, against the better teams, it was merely a slow-death way of losing. But you can’t argue with Mark Dantonio’s macro success. He did wonders, and produced a great team at the high point of his tenure. He was quite a bit better at Michigan State than Nick Saban in each coach’s first five years in East Lansing in a straight apples-to-apples comparison, and took the Spartans to heights that I suspect even the great Saban would have failed to attain at Michigan State.

As for this year’s Spartan defense, they aren’t about slow death. They crowd the slot with nickel back Shakur Brown. And they even out the numbers in the box with Henderson (a safety) often playing at the LB level. This is nothing revolutionary. Many teams play it this way. The danger is that if a play gets past the linebacker level, there is more open grass and fewer Spartans to rodeo the ball-carrier to the ground than in past years.

You saw what happened last week when a simple QB lead draw resulted in an untouched 26-yard TD run.

Michigan State will roll the dice more on defense in this fashion, even when not blitzing. They are operating without a net. Thus the chances of Michigan continuing to pop off big plays this week after a smattering of them last week remains a great possibility. Yet that’s precisely the first thing Michigan State need to prevent from happening if it wants to stay competitive.

Can Michigan State with it’s new defense, and some foggy players, play that way and somehow prevent a simple inside trap from going 70 yards, or a QB draw from going 50? Those won’t be the most difficult equations the Spartan defense will need to solve, but they could be the most telling.

* Is it possible that Michigan State will use two different defensive philosophies: last week’s 4-2-5, and possibly a holdover version of the Tressel 4-3? Who would be the third linebacker if Michigan State dusts off last year’s defense? I’m guessing Chase Kline joining Noah Harvey in the middle with Antjuan Simmons back in the slot? Simmons is 10 pounds heavier than last year and says he’s just as fast. Maybe he is. I haven’t checked.

If Michigan comes out in run personnel for 20 of its first 27 plays like last week, I suspect Michigan State will try the 4-2-5 approach. But if more physicality is needed, if Michigan State needs an anvil against some of those hard-blocking Michigan hammers, I think Kline could offer a little heftier resistance. Henderson is good in at the linebacker level. But MSU’s run defense could be, theoretically, even better if Kline is on the field rather than a third cornerback and Henderson is able to support the run from traditional safety depth.

That’s just a guess-the-gameplan thing on my behalf. I have no inside info on that.

* Michigan’s offense has young skill players on the perimeter. Players who might be household names some day, but are just youngsters right now.

If you play the old Dantonio system, Michigan’s speed-in-space offensive approach could pepper the soft slot areas for nice yards-after-catch production. But good tackling would theoretically keep things contained for a date in the red zone.

If you play the Hazelton approach, Michigan will likely answer with last week’s approach - run-oriented personnel on 20 of the first 27 snaps. Of course they can throw out of these sets too, but they won’t be flooding your secondary with proven All-Big Ten wide receivers.

That’ll be intriguing football in and of itself: Michigan’s surprising offensive line, with Ben Mason as a battering ram blocking back, against what’s been a proud Michigan State run defense, one that played well last week, but now has to prove itself with a new system when the adversary comes a little bit bigger.

ANY PATHS TO VICTORY FOR MSU?

* The scores and outcomes of last week’s Michigan and Michigan State games were decidedly different last week. But if you just looked at the teams working as if it were a preseason high school scrimmage, these two teams wouldn’t seem as drastically different as the pregame suppositions we’re all hearing and feeling this week.

The one drastic caveat of that statement is that MSU’s o-line was indeed as terrible as initially perceived, and wasn’t nearly in the same stratosphere as Michigan’s offensive line last week.

If Michigan State can somehow show Cinderella improvement on the offensive line in one week, then this could become a competitive game. But you would have to believe in fairy tales for that to happen. I’ve seen a few football fairy tales come true, but not many.

The other less-drastic caveat is that Michigan indeed looked elite in the fourth quarter with its pass rush, once Minnesota lost all threat of offensive balance.

A big step in the path toward competitiveness for Michigan State in this game is staying out of passing situations, both in terms of down-and-distance and on the scoreboard. That’s easier said than done, but it’s crucial. Michigan’s pass rush is that good, and MSU’s pass protection help from RBs and TEs is that suspect.

Aside from that, Michigan State actually “won” a lot of plays against Rutgers last week (plant a flag!) and Michigan “lost” a lot of plays against Minnesota. That’s what I mean by high school scrimmage film. There was enough by both teams for an impartial observer, if we can find one, to conclude that these two teams - the Spartans and Wolverines - do indeed belong on the same field together. This isn’t Tyson vs Spinks. Although it could turn into that quickly if Michigan State becomes a unwilling accomplice (via turnovers and miscues).

* Obviously, Michigan State has to avoid mistakes, avoid turnovers, avoid penalties that prolong UM drives or shorten Michigan State drives. These are all clichés of course. But Michigan State can’t bounce back from bad leaks this week they way they almost did last week. A bad leak or two, and this game is over early.

* Path to Competitiveness? Choose slow death, if possible, Michigan State. Michigan’s offense is good. They’re going to drive and get points. Just don’t give up the big plays like Minnesota did (long kickoff return, strip sack defensive TD, 70-yard TD run, foiled fake punt resulting in a short 29-yard field). That’s 28 points without needing to collect first downs.

Get first downs, punt the ball, make Michigan with a still-developing QB go 80 yards.

It would be nice if you forced Michigan to punt four or five times, of course. Michigan didn’t punt once against Minnesota. You read that right.

By slow death, I mean if Michigan is going to score, make them eat some clock and shorten the game, and perhaps give the Spartans a chance to stiffen in the red zone and force field goal attempts … just in case you get some breaks with turnovers or on special teams or one of those Domato Peko scoop and scores from a hundred yards out. Just in case your offensive line joins the human race and helps you get 300 or more yards of offense. Just in case pass protection holds up, just in case Rocky Lombardi proves efficient at reading pressures and delivering the ball accurately, just in case you don’t turn the ball over seven times your damn self.

If all of those fairy tales come true, and you achieve slow death on defense, then Michigan State could conceivably be within 13 points going into the fourth quarter.

Michigan fumbled once inside the Minnesota 5-yard line, but Michigan recovered and soon scored a TD. Michigan fumbled a kickoff early in the 2H after Minnesota had cut the lead to 35-24, but Michigan recovered and soon scored a TD. If Michigan’s opponent recovers either of those two turnovers, you could conceivably get a 21-point swing. Football can swing that way, especially in fairy tales.


* If you can harness slow death and make Michigan go 80 yards, MAYBE Milton will make some mistakes. He looked cool last week (a well-managed 15 of 22 for 225 yards), with little evidence (for now) that he can be shaken into mistakes. But he’s still somewhat of an unproven starter. Maybe he can be coaxed into a misread INT or two.

- Milton stared down TE Erick All on a skinny post late in the 1H last week, and threw dangerously into double-coverage. That’s the type of mistake Michigan State needs, and needs to capitalize on. He didn’t make many.

Could Michigan State coax him into more bad decisions than Minnesota was able to do last week? Yes, and that’s a theoretical staple of the Hazelton defense. His Kansas State defense was very good last year at changing up its coverages, disguising those coverages, and playing a wide variety of them without fooling itself (based on the two games I reviewed against Oklahoma and Iowa State).

He did that in one year at Kansas State.

Last week, the secondary played 60-minutes of good, same-page football - albeit against a bottom division Big Ten team. But that was a good spring game outing by the back seven in pass defense.

If Hazelton is ready to play like he did at KSU, then the Spartans will be more aggressive on passing downs in showing blitz, making the opponent account for six or seven potential rushers, and then drop back into various coverages. I’ve not seen Michigan State do this ultra-effectively; and we’ve not seen Milton presented with it. I’m not sure Michigan State can present it. We don’t know how Milton will do with it.

MSU’s problem is that a good pass rush would do wonders to complement the type of moving pictures Hazelton wants to present to a quarterback. But MSU’s pass rush was limp last week. Drew Beesley isn’t bad. Jacub Panasiuk has been pretty good in the past but was quiet last week. The back-up defensive ends aren’t much help right now.

Might Michigan State be able to bring four-man pressures with d-linemen dropping into coverage and linebackers rushing? Sure. Does that change the world? Not really.

But Michigan State surprised Rutgers’ QB with Shakur Brown dropping into curl/hook zone coverage after a steady diet of man-to-man. Brown nabbed an interception, returned it for a TD (called back for an illegal block). That’s the type of mistake Hazelton needs Milton to make. There’s a Rapunzel’s chance of that happening once, maybe even twice. That won’t win the game, but it’s on the path to competitiveness radar.

LAST WEEK, OF NOTE:

* With 10 minutes left in the first half, Minnesota trailed Michigan 21-17, and had a TD taken off the board due to illegal formation (but earned it with the blocking up front). At that point, Minnesota held a 15-5 edge in time of possession.

The game was even initially. To Michigan’s credit, the Wolverine offense took control from that point forward. But Minnesota was still only a couple of bounces (fumble recoveries) away from keeping this a game into the fourth quarter.

Michigan was good, but they weren’t the 1984 BYU Cougars.

* Michigan's fine safety Daxton Hill missed half of the game last week with an undisclosed injury. He's excellent against the run and pass, and I wonder if he hurt himself while making a forceful tackle in run defense late in the first half. Anyway, his replacement was freshman Makari Paige. It was a colassal dropoff in effectiveness from Hill to Paige last week. I'm assuming Hill is going to be okay. The TV broadcast didn't pick up any lower body problems with Hill. But if Hill can't play, Michigan's defense will be operating with a flat tire in the secondary, unless there's a better replacement or combination out there that Michigan didn't show last week. Paige might be good some day, but that wasn't the case last Saturday.

COMPARITIVE QUESTIONS

* Minnesota had some success running the ball. Their TE blockers did a good job displacing Michigan’s excellent defensive end Aidan Hutchinson at the point of attack. (Hutchinson was better vs OGs and OTs than he was vs TEs). The question is whether Michigan State has tight ends, much less an offensive line and a RB that is capable of doing the same thing. Probably not.

From what I’ve seen, you’re better off running right at Hutchinson than trying to run your running game away from him. He’s better in run defense as a pursuit guy. Secondly Kwity Paye on the other side is legitimately good against the run. So if you run away from Hutchinson, you’re running at Paye. That’s not the best choice.

Of the success Minnesota had on the ground, it came when running at Hutchinson. OR it came when Michigan was dabbling with its 30 defense.

Michigan liked to run its 3-4 personnel (taking DT Hinton out of the game and replacing him with LB VanSumeren) on second down last week. When Michigan ran its 30 defense, Michigan didn’t bolster it with extra safety help. So a lighter front 7 was often left without extra help in the box. Michigan did this against Minnesota’s 12 personnel (1 RB and 2 TEs). That made no sense. Minnesota put seven blockers on seven defensive hats and had daylight.

On one occasion, Minnesota popped off 25-yard TD run via 7-on-7 blocking vs the light 30 defense - and this was on third-and-two! Michigan had two safeties deep on third-and-two in the red zone. Made zero sense. Michigan State will have to hope Don Brown pulls some more moves like that if Michigan State is fortunate enough to have a third-and-two in the red zone once or twice.

* By the way, Michigan went with its 30 defense in third-and-4 or third-and-3 type situations a few times last week, when the game was still in doubt. This is not a good run-defense personnel group for Michigan.

If Michigan State comes out with three WRs on third-and-three, don’t be shocked of Michigan State runs the ball. Don’t be alarmed that this is a return of Perles ball. If Michigan State does this, it will be because Michigan looked susceptible to it with its 30 defense on third-and-manageable last week. And quite frankly, you might have a better chance to pick up 3 yards on the ground than trying to pass from the pocket with Hutchinson and Paye coming after you.

* If Michigan continues to go with the 30 on second downs, I wonder if Michigan State will try to power the run game in those situations. Short pass on first-and-10, then second-and-seven is a run play against the lighter 30? If so, if Michigan State wants to go with a power run attack, is Connor Heyward still the guy? He started last week, but he’s limited. Elijah Collins hasn’t looked like himself. Freshman Jordan Simmons is a good quickness guys. Don’t sleep on redshirt freshman Brandon Wright. He’s a big back who had one carry last week (for a loss of 2 when LG Blake Bueter was blown up by two-gapping Michael Dwumfour). But Wright, if he’s right, might be able to play some power ball if and when Michigan goes light. This is all unseen, early-season football theory.

* Minnesota went deep twice and completed both passes. Neither receiver was open. The first one went for 45 yards against CB Gemon Green (a good player). Green had him well-covered, but the WR reacted well to an underthrown ball.

On the second one, Michigan CB Vincent Gray (a pretty good player) was beaten deep for 40 yards by Minnesota WR Bateman. Gray was flagged for pass interference, was working hands on Bateman the whole way, but Bateman still made the catch.

Can Michigan State go deep? Michigan State tried twice last week (Lombardi missed an open WR Reed on a free play that should have been a TD).

Lombardi’s arm accuracy on deep shots is an unknown, probably not a strength. But Michigan State will probably shoot some dice in that area. They need one.

* People ask about the Ohio State example. Why have Ohio State (and Alabama) been successful in victimizing Michigan’s Don Brown defense with simple crossing routes and devastating runs after the catch?

Well, first of all, Michigan showed less man-to-man against Minnesota. The Gophers were able to hit a crossing route for 15 yards in the fourth quarter, and it nearly got out for more. But Michigan didn’t play as much single-safety-deep, man-to-man as we’ve seen in the past.

As for the Ohio State example, much of it comes down to talent. Teams can try to emulate what OSU did vs Michigan’s man-to-man, but teams don’t have OSU’s speed and NFL talent at WR, they don’t have OSU’s ability to establish chunks in the run game with NFL o-linemen and NFL running backs, and they don’t have a national Top 2 quarterback engineering the locomotive, with QB-run ability sprinkled in.

Lombardi is capable, but he’s not Justin Fields. MSU’s o-line in comparison to OSU’s o-line? I guess we can stop there.

But MSU’s receiving corps is a group on the rise. They can provide some sparks, if the offensive line gets a pixie dust visit from a fairy godfather.

(MICRO PERSONNEL INFO TO COME)

Well, I made it to the press box in record time from East Lansing (no traffic).

Have to say the drive and the walk to the stadium was the most enjoyable I've ever had here.

I wish the stadiums weren't empty, of course.

Here is Rico C's WHAT TO WATCH FOR story ahead of tomorrow's game.

I caught up with Austin Fox from TheWolverine.com for an Opponent Perspect Q&A and here is what I got.


If Michigan State were further along than what we saw last weekend, I think that the absence of Quinn Nordin at kicker would have been a bigger deal.

Swervin' Irvin will be joining @Corey_Robinson and myself for pretty much every single Game Preview and Post-Game Reaction episode of the Spartan Spotlight podcast!

He actually reached out to Corey about joining us, so he's really excited to get his insight and voice out there for Spartan Nation to hear. Interestingly, he said one thing that made him want to connect with the fanbase even more now is finding out how much support he had for his name being in consideration for the RB coach spot. "I always knew I had fans but the love they showed during that time was something else," he said. And in general, he's really excited about Tucker and this new era of MSU football, so he wanted to talk about it with an audience that will listen.

We think he'll provide invaluable insight from a player's perspective when we look evaluate some of these games. We're recording the first episode later tonight and it should be posted tomorrow around 11am.
It will be a game preview for MSU's match-up against The Team Down The Road / Michigan (depending on what side of the heavily-contentious debate you fall on...lol)

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Here is my Rocky Lombardi story based on yesterday's interview. I like Lombardi's demeanor and self-confidence. He hasn't shown the ability to win a difficult one-dimensional football game as a starter the way Connor Cook could as an experienced QB and Lewerke did on occasion during career. That said, it really isn't fair to judge him by that criteria at this stage of his career. He played better than I expected him to against Rutgers under the circumstances with adversity all over the place and no run game. And I think the poise he showed under the circumstances is easy to dismiss given the outcome of the game. This weekend is gonna be even more difficult from a poise standpoint, as Rocky is going to have to put the ball up and trust his receivers to make plays through contact. It won't be easy. A run game would be fantastic, but until we see it, I just don't think it's something that can be relied upon. This is a game where Lombardi is going to have to make plays with his feet because the pocket won't stay clean long enough to go deep into his read progression.

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@jim comparoni @Justin Thind @Corey_Robinson

Rocky Lombardi is up.

He says that this week is different because they know more about what Michigan is going to do as a opposed to Rutgers.

He says that this is a huge game for us. He says that he isn't downplaying the significance of this week.

He says that Tucker understands the rivalry and the feelings both programs have toward each other. He understands the importance of this game.

I know the results of one game typically doesn't hold much weight with recruits and their final decision, but given the circumstances, this one just feels a little different. "Commitments" these days seem more fickle and flexible than ever (on both sides, to be fair), especially since guys are commiting without ever stepping foot on campus.

This is the first time anybody has been able to see any sort of on-field product, and the results were not impressive. It also probably doesn't help that we shit the bed against Rutgers while we try to set up recruiting shop right in their back yard.

Justin and Corey - have you guys had a chance to touch base or heard any rumblings amongst the recruits? I'd absolutely love to be wrong here, so PLEASE tell me to stop being a p***y and that everything will be okay 😂.

I was hearing from a good source in Ohio on Saturday, close to the recruiting scene in Ohio, that word within Fickell's family was that he was going to take the job.

But then word came on Sunday that people within Fickell's family DIDN'T think he was going to take the job.

I can't reveal the source. But it has to do with people within Fickell's family speaking with friends. It was innocent and organic and credible.

Michigan State 100 percent thought this was a done deal. From the Cincinnati side of things, obviously, it wasn't. It wasn't a slam dunk, obviously.

This is horrible news for Michigan State. With Fickell reportedly out, the process will now shift back to square one.

Among the options are for Mike Tressel to coach in 2020 as the interim coach. At this point, the chances of that being the case have likey skyrocketed.

A source who speaks on a regular basis with some parents of MSU players told me late last week that during team meetings, Tressel was telling players that if Fickell didn't get the job, then he, Tressel, would be their coach.

Maybe that was a psychological move by Tressel to avoid substitute teacher type of fallout in the meantime. Or maybe he has reason to believe that.

As for other options, Athletics Director Bill Beekman could open a second round of interviews.

So many mental errors it’s horrible - Nailor, Reed, etc

They should sit

Who is your prediction for the MVP of today's game, while we wait here not tailgating on campus?

I'll post this on the front later, add some photos, and brush it up. But here's the first draft. I wanted to get it out to you as soon as I could because I know there isn't much time until kickoff.

(if you want the straight latest info on Michigan State, scroll down to "THE LATEST ON MICHIGAN STATE")

THE PRE-SNAP READ: Michigan State v. Rutgers

By Jim Comparoni
SpartanMag.com


East Lansing, Mich. - The leaves have been absolutely stunning on campus for the past few days, the best and most beautiful I’ve ever witnessed here.

I feel bad that the campus hasn’t been open to fans for football games. This would have been one of the prettiest autumns ever.

Foliage always looks good around campus at this time of year, but I swore the colors were more brilliant this year.

I met a retired Michigan State professor of agricultural climatology during a walk last week. He confirmed that there are years when the colors are brighter than usual, based on weather factors. This has to be one of those years.

We haven’t had football. We’ve missed it. We’ve missed you. And the trees miss you too.


KICK IT OFF

I can’t pretend to know much about Rutgers. Even Michigan State coaches concede that there will be more unscouted plays and surprises in this game than will be the case at any point all season, or in most seasons.

Not only does Rutgers have a new head coach, new coordinators and a new quarterback, we didn’t even get a look at them during a spring game.

And Rutgers has the same uncertainty about Michigan State.

Kudos to the Big Ten for pitting these two teams against one another in week one. It’s fair - and refreshing for a sport whose conferences aren’t usually big on fairness. If Jim Delaney were still the commissioner, I suspect he would have fed Michigan State to Ohio State in week one, and fed Rutgers to Michigan in week one. For this game, for this week, I think Kevin Warren did us a solid. Nebraska fans would beg to differ.

******

As for Rutgers, you recall that the Knights were horrible last year, going 2-10 and losing 27-0 at home to Michigan State in the next-to-last game of the season.

The previous staff had already been fired at Rutgers. At halftime, a former Rutgers player Eric LeGrand, who became paralyzed while making a tackle in 2010, addressed the small crowd at SHI Stadium, and said, “We know what we need to do, we know who we need to hire.” That drew an ovation from the few diehards in attendance.

Rutgers was pursuing Greg Schiano, and was trying to get the money right. Schiano wanted to make sure facilities and support would be up to standard. They reached a deal, and the 54-year-old Schiano is back in New Brunswick, N.J. where he elevated Rutgers from records of 2-9 and 1-11 in 2002 to Top 10 status in 2006 with an 11-2 record (with one of those losses coming at the hands of Mark Dantonio and Cincinnati, a win by the Bearcats that was big in helping Dantonio get the Michigan State job).

Schiano then went 8-5, 8-5, 9-4, 4-8 and 9-4 before leaving Rutgers in 2012 to become head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for two seasons.

Then he was out of coaching for two years. Ohio State hired him as defensive coordinator from 2016-18. Ohio State’s defense struggled in 2018 and head coach Ryan Day didn’t retain him in 2019.

Schiano made a run at the University of Tennessee head coaching job in 2018, and reportedly had a job offer. But social media outcry killed the deal. Tennessee fans felt they could do better, and used Schiano’s presence at Penn State from 1990 to ’95 as reason to bash his candidacy.

But Rutgers, after hitting a severe dry spell in recent years, was glad to get him back. And he’s glad to be back, especially with Rutgers in the Big Ten.

The task is more difficult, in some ways, for Schiano than it was in 2001. But the resources and stage are bigger too. His goal back then was to keep New Jersey kids at home. Now, theoretically, with Rutgers in the Big Ten, his pitch has more backing. But the schedule is much tougher.

Schiano 2.0 begins on Saturday at Spartan Stadium, coinciding with the kickoff of Tucker Time.

“There’s going to be a sense of pride for me,” Tucker said. “It’s going to be exciting, to be able to come back to Michigan State where my career started in 1997 and ’98 with Coach Saban, and coming back home. This is not just a job, a coaching opportunity, it’s a life that I continue to live here at Michigan State, at this great university. It’s important to me, to our family, to our coaching staff, and players and our fans and everyone involved, so we are going to give it everything we have for 60 minutes. That’s my mindset and that’s how we’re going to approach this game.”

I like the way Tucker is referring to Michigan State as “this great university.” He’s lived it for a few months and he feels it. It’s genuine. It is a great university. I don’t say that with green and white pom-pons waving. This isn’t about the sports teams, it’s about the university. He came here to coach. But he has seen what the university is all about since he’s been here. He likes it, and it likes him. Now, the football begins.

******

When Michigan State beat Rutgers last year, 27-0, Johnny Langan was the Scarlet Knights’ quarterback. He was dreadful. He was incapable of moving the offense.

Langan is still on the team, but is now the No. 3 QB.

Last year, they had a QB get injured, and another enter the transfer portal rather than lose a year of eligibility, and a lame duck season fell on Langan’s lap.

Rutgers’ QB on Saturday won’t be as bad as what we saw last year.

Schiano hasn’t revealed if he’ll start 6-foot-1, 195-pound senior Nebraska transfer Noah Vedral or Artur Sitkowski (6-5, 224, Jr.).

Either one will be better than Langan. They will attempt to be game-managers. Neither is a world-beater.

Rutgers is solid at RB with Isaih Pacheco and Aaron Young.

* Rutgers is expected to run a balanced uptempo spread. Rutgers hired offensive coordinator Sean Gleeson away from Oklahoma State. Oklahoma State had 50-50 balance last year in terms of run and pass yardage.

Rutgers wants to average one snap every 15 seconds.

Gleeson spent one year at Oklahoma State. Prior to that, he was OC at Princeton in 2017 and ’18 and regarded as a bright, young, up-and-coming offensive mind. He’s a New Jersey native.


RUTGERS QUARTERBACKS

* I suspect that Artur Sitkowski is going to start over Nebraska transfer Noah Vedral. They each have some experience and ability.

* Sitkowski started as a true freshman in 2018 and had severe struggles. He lost the starting job to a Texas Tech transfer last year, but regained the job after injury.

* Sitkowski isn’t a world beater, but he has more experience and possibly pure talent than Rocky Lombardi. Maybe Lombardi will prove to be capable. But as of now, there is more good film of Sitkowski than there is of Lombardi.


ARTUR SITKOWSKI (6-5, 224, Jr., Old Bridge, NJ)

* Was a 5.7 three-star recruit, ranked No. 82 in Florida, where he attended IMG Prep.

* Played in three games last year including two starts. Lost the starting QB job to a Texas Tech transfer, who subsequently went down with an injury and retired.

* Opted to sit out the remainder of last year in order to preserve a redshirt. Entered the transfer portal, and then changed his mind and returned to Rutgers after Schiano was hired.

* Last year went 44 of 68 for 429 yards and a TD.

* Was 17 of 24 against Michigan.

* Was 23 of 33 for 304 yards against Boston College.

* As a freshman in 2018, started 11 games. Completed only 49 percent of his passes for 1,158 yards and four TDS.

* Threw 18 INTs as a freshman.

* Was 29 of 46 for 267 yards against Illinois.

* Was 20 of 39 for 261 yards at Wisconsin.

Sitkowski video last year vs Boston College

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NOAH VEDRAL (6-1, 195, Sr., Wahoo, Neb.)

* He will be wearing No. 0. I’ve never seen a QB wear No. 0, except maybe in a bad Disney movie.

* Vedral was a 5.3 two-star recruit when he signed with Scott Frost at Central Florida.

* He transferred to Nebraska with Frost.

* He transferred to Rutgers last winter.

* Vedral (pronounced Ved-DRILL) can provide short-pass functionality and maybe a little bit of intermediate ability.

+ Sneaky good running ability, like a watered down Brian Lewerke.

+ Vedral was a second-stringer at Nebraska last year. He started two games due to an injury to the first-stringer.

+ Last year was 34 of 52 for 418 yards for the year, with 106 yards rushing.

+ Was 14 of 16 for 201 yards against Indiana last year.

+ Was 14 of 23 for 135 yards against Minnesota while also rushing for 49 yards.

+ Engineered a game-winning drive against Northwestern in relief.

= Appeared in eight games as a back-up for 13-0 Central Florida in 2017. Was 22 of 29 for 276 yards in mop up duty with one TD.


Noah Vedral Highlights:

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RUTGERS RUNNING BACKS

ISAIH PACHECO (5-11, 210, Jr., Vineland, NJ) is a hard runner with good vision. He had 729 yards rushing last year.

He rushed for 156 yards with four TDs against a weak UMass team last year.

He was held to 36 yards on 12 carries against Michigan State last year.

Pacheco was named preseason fourth-team All-Big Ten by Athlon’s.

Pacheco turned heads with this run against Michigan in 2018:

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AARON YOUNG (5-10, 198, Soph.) is a former Michigan State commitment. He was a 5.7 three-star recruit, ranked the No. 12 player in New Jersey by Rivals.com

He’s going to be pretty good.

Last year, Young had 15 receptions for 113 yards. He had 43 carries for 153 yards. He will always be extra motivated vs Michigan State, not because he hates Michigan State, but because he knows Michigan State and he will want to show out a little extra.


RECEIVERS:

THE SKINNY: Melton is a reliable possession type of guy. Cruickshank, a former Badger, is hoping for a rebirth and breakthrough as an every-down WR.

WR BO MELTON (5-11, 190, Sr., Mays Landing, NJ)

+ Led the team last year in receptions with 30. Had 28 catches in 2018.

+ Ranked 19th in the Big Ten in yards per reception at 14.1. Not bad.

WR ARON CRUICKSHANK (5-10, 160, Jr. Brooklyn, NY)

* 5.7 three-star recruit, No. 5 in New York.

+ Was second-team All-Big Ten on special teams last year at Wisconsin.

+ He had two kickoff returns for TDs last year for the Badgers, including one in the Rose Bowl.

+ At Wisconsin, had a 23-yard TD run on a reverse against Illinois in 2018.

+ He had 13 rushes last year for the Badgers (10.6 average per carry) but no receptions.

* He transferred to Rutgers in order to become more utilized as a receiver.


WR SHAMEEN JONES (6-2, 180, Sr., Bronx, NY)

* Was a 5.8 four-star recruit, ranked No. 7 in New Jersey.
= Had only two catches last year while playing in 10 games.
+ Had 15 catches in seven starts as a redshirt freshman in 2018.

TE JOVANI HASKINS (6-5, 251, Sr., Bergenfield, NJ)

* Was a 5.7 three-star recruit, ranked No. 12 in New Jersey.

* Transfer from West Virginia, where he had four catches last year and 16 catches in 2018.

* He started three games for West Virginia last year and had three catches against Texas.

* Transferred from Miami to West Virginia in 2017.


RUTGERS OFFENSIVE LINE

* I have not studied these guys on film and have little opinion or insight on them:

THE SKINNY: The left side of the line looks functional on paper.


LT RAIQUON O’NEAL (6-4, 296, Conway, S.C.)
* Was a 5.5 three-star recruit, ranked No. 24 in South Carolina. Had several other FBS offers.
+ He started four games at LT last year as a redshirt freshman.


LG NICK KRIMIN (6-5, 310, Sr., South Amboy, NJ).
* Was a 5.6 three-star recruit, ranked No. 19 in New Jersey.
+ Started 12 games last year and has 15 career starts.

******


At center, Schiano didn’t disclose who was winning the competition between a redshirt freshman who played in two games last year and a former defensive tackle who had a TFL vs Michigan State last year.

******

RG CEDRICE PAILLANT (6-4, 298, Jr., New Rochelle, NY).
* Junior college transfer who will be making his major college debut on Saturday.
* Was ranked the No. 15 juco offensive tackle in the nation by JCGridiron.com.


RT REGGIE SUTTON (6-4, 291, Jr., Towson, Md.)
* Was a 5.5 three-star, ranked No. 23 in Maryland.
= Appeared in six games last year. Had one start as a freshman in 2018 in a jumbo set.


RUTGERS DEFENSE

THE SKINNY: Decent on the d-line, a little star power in the middle at linebacker, decent amount of returning starter talent in the secondary.

* The offense was so bad last year that it was hard for the d-line to hold water for all 60 minutes.

* The Rutgers defense adds legit 2019 contributors who transferred from Michigan (at DT) and Ohio State (CB).


DEFENSIVE LINE:

THE SKINNY: Three of the four starters are proven, solid players.



DT MICHAEL DWUMFOUR (6-1, 296, Sr., Scotch Plains, NJ)
* Was a 5.5 three star recruit, ranked No. 24 in New Jersey.

* Michigan transfer started two games for the Wolverines in 2019 and two games in 2018.

* I watched him closely at Michigan and never thought he was a bad player. Solid talent. I would expect him to be a productive, well-received player at Rutgers. Was somewhat of an underrated recruit for Michigan, if you can believe there is such a thing.

* Had 1.5 TFLs for Michigan last year.

* Had three sacks in 2018.

* He is backed up by Minnesota transfer Mayan Ahanotu, who played three games for the Gophers last year.


DT ROBIN JUTWRETEN (6-5, 265, Jr., Stockholm, Sweden)
* Has seen action in 13 games, zero starts.

* Was a 5.4 two-star recruit, understandably an unknown coming out of Sweden. For what it’s worth, he helped lead Sweden to the u19 European Championship in 2017.



DE ELORM LUMOR (6-3, 241, Sr., Piscataway, NJ)
* Was a 5.6, three-star recruit.
* 24 career starts.
* Led the team with three sacks last year.

DE MIKE TVERDOV (6-4, 254, Sr., Union, NJ)
* Was a 5.5 three-star recruit, ranked No. 24 in New Jersey.
* 12 career starts.
* Had 2.5 TFLs last year and one sack.

* He is backed-up Malik Barrow, a former four-star recruit who signed with Ohio State, transferred to Central Florida and has now transferred to Rutgers. Barrow has been a washout thus far. He saw action in four games at UCF last year. He played in two games in three years at OSU.


LINEBACKERS

THE SKINNY: Their five best linebackers return. “A year older with better coaching and this unit can do wonders,” said Rivals Rutgers site publisher Richard. “Fogg and Fatukasi both have NFL potential.”

MLB TYSHON FOGG (6-1, 232, Sr., Baltimore)


* Was a 5.8 four-star recruit, ranked No. 7 in Maryland.
* Was honorable mention All-Big Ten by coaches and media last year.
* Started 12 games last year. Had 104 tackles and four TFLs.


LB OLAKUNLE FATUKASI (6-1, 234, Sr., Far Rockaway, NY)

* Was a 5.6 three-star recruit, ranked No. 7 in New York.
+ Four-year regular and second-year starter.
+ Fourth-team preseason All-Big Ten by Phil Steele.
+ 85 tackles last year.


* At the other LB position, sophomore Deion Jennings is battling with Michigan transfer Drew Singleton for the job.

Jennings started three games last year. Had an interception in the end zone against Michigan State.

Singleton (6-2, 222, Newark, NJ/Paramus Catholic) started two games for Rutgers last year. He saw action in seven games for Michigan in 2018.


DEFENSIVE BACKFIELD


* There is some experience here and it will be interesting to see what kind of boost Brendon White provides as a transfer from Ohio State. He was a legit contributor for the Buckeyes.

S BRENDON WHITE (6-2, 220, Sr., Powell, Ohio)
* Was a 5.9 four star recruit, ranked No. 2 in Ohio
+ Was 2019 Rose Bowl Defensive MVP.
+ Started one game at OSU last year and saw action in 10 games.
* Had 19 tackles and two TFLs for the Buckeyes last year.
* Started five games at OSU in 2018.
* He left OSU, wanting more of a regular role. He was in the rotation at OSU last year at the “bullet” hybrid slot position.


CB TRE AVERY (5-11, 180, Sr., Baltimore)
* Was a 5.5 three-star recruit, ranked No. 29 in Maryland.

* Originally signed with Ohio State, transferred to Toledo before the season started, then transferred to Rutgers a year later.

+ Started four games at CB last year.
+ Had two INTs last year.
+ Had four tackles vs Michigan State.

CB AVERY YOUNG (6-0, 198, JR., Coatesville, Pa.)
* 5.5 three-star recruit, ranked No. 31 in Pennsylvania.
+ 21 career starts.

S CHRISTIAN IZIEN (5-10, 198, R-Soph., Far Rockaway, NY)
* Was a two-star recruit, unranked.
* Seven starts last year. Had 78 tackles.

SPECIAL TEAMS


+ Cruikshank is a problem in the return game, obviously.
+ The kicker, Justin Davidovicz, was 11 of 15 on field goals last year with a long of 50. He’s a senior.


ADD IT ALL UP

* On paper, this team looks better than last year’s 2-10 squad, which isn't saying a lot. But this is one 2-10 team that I think has the ability to make nice improvement in year one of a new staff. Usually when a new coach inherits a 2-10 mess, you have to wait quite awhile for progress. I think Rutgers has some punch, but I don't know how many games they can win in a schedule of nothing but conference games. However, they get Illinois and Purdue as crossover games, so Warren (and schedule czar Barry Alvarez) did Rutgers some favors there.

But the QB could be quite different with a maturing Sitkowski. They’re solid at RB, TE and have some x-factors at WR.

The defense adds good players at DT and CB who transferred from Michigan and Ohio State.

* On paper, this lineup doesn’t look bad at all. I wish I had a chance to see film so that I could get a better grasp of things, as do the Michigan State coaches.

We have seen at Arkansas this year as the latest example of a new coaching staff coming in, inheriting decent talent and simply getting everyone to play accountable, well-coached football, and boom, things can look different rather quickly. I’m not expecting Rutgers to be good, but I wouldn’t be surprised if they make the type of immediate leap to respectability that Purdue made when Jeff Brohm was hired.

Schiano was a failure, in my opinion, at Ohio State. I’m not sure if that was a case of too many cooks in the kitchen, or if he lost his touch as a coordinator. I don’t know. Maybe he’s better as a head man. We’ll begin to find out on Saturday. He certainly has an edge over Tucker in head coaching experience.


THE LATEST ON MICHIGAN STATE

* Here’s the position-by-position skinny, to the best of my knowledge at this hour. (NOTE: I've heard nothing new since doing my podcasts this week. So some of this might be repeat info for you).

QUARTERBACKS

* Most indications, rumors and smoke point toward Rocky Lombardi getting the start. As of last week, I heard he was making the fewest mistakes of the three contenders.

I’ve heard that Lombardi has improved, which you would expect from a fourth-year player with starting experience. Players have responded to his leadership. He’s well-liked, probably a better person and competitor than he is a quarterback. But he can begin rewriting his quarterbacking reputation tomorrow.

* Coaches were really impressed with Theo Day’s physical stature, arm and athleticism. He’s been a little foggy mentally. They are hoping he grows out of that.

* I haven’t heard much about Payton Thorne, other than he is accepting his role without a problem at this time. That sounds like he is second- or third-string.

Thorne and Day battled for No. 3 status all last year. Thorne pulled ahead, but that was for a different staff. The previous staff had some frustrations with Day as well.

Mel Tucker’s “Motivation Monday” tweet seemed to be a message to Theo Day, telling him to not dwell on the past, focus on the future and trust the process. Sounds like something you would tell a player who might be relegated to scout team duty but has talent.

But I’m not 100 percent sure who we’ll see start at QB at this juncture. The players know. The program has done a decent job keeping it pretty quiet. But the squeaks I’ve been hearing are pointing toward Lombardi.


RUNNING BACKS

* No news here. Elijah Collins is the man. He’s a big bigger, fresh, experienced, confident. I’ll be eager to see who gets the call for No. 2 carries. I’m expecting Anthony Williams, but it’s a talented, hungry stable behind Collins.

The new staff is intrigued with Connor Heyward’s skill set, but so was the previous staff. He has hands and an interesting mix of wiggle and power. He has improved himself physically. Now he needs to show the proper vision and instincts for the RB position. If nothing else, he could be a third down receiver - but would you really rather have him on the field than a wide out or Trenton Gillison? I don’t know the answer to that. And if he doesn’t have much of a role, will he remain positive? Might Heyward be better as a receiver in a non-passing down? Perhaps, but once he does that a time or two, then you're tipping your hand that it's going to be a pass play just by subbing him into the game. So, bottom line, he needs to show the run-game side of his versatility package.


WIDE RECEIVERS

* Jalen Nailor and Jayden Reed have impressed. Tre Mosley is right there with them. CJ Hayes has been banged up. I’m not sure of his situation. I haven’t heard much the veteran reserve wide receivers, which probably isn’t great news for them.

Coaches have been impressed with the incoming class of freshmen, which isn’t a surprise.

“I like what I’m seeing from our receiving corps,” Tucker said. “They are talented and there are quite a few guys that we feel like can make plays.

“Jayden Reed, he shows up every day. Jalen Nailor has some tremendous tools. Tre Mosley, obviously he can make plays. And I really like some of these freshmen that we have in here: Ricky White, Montorie Foster, and Terry Lockett - those are guys that go out every day and they compete and they make plays in practice.

“I feel like we’ve got competition at that position, which is excellent. And those guys also are willing and able to contribute on special teams. So it’s a group that I’m pleased with their development.

“Courtney Hawkins is coaching those guys, and Hawk is one of the great all-time Spartans, he played the position at a high level in the NFL, and is an outstanding coach. He’s very intense, with attention to detail, a sense of urgency and his players really respond to him and they don’t want to disappoint him, and I can tell that by the way they practice.”


OFFENSIVE LINE

* Senior center Matt Allen has been telling us that the coaches were telling all linemen that no jobs were safe. Allen said he liked it. He said he likes having people nipping at his heels.

Well, there might be more than just nipping going on.

There have been indications from SpartanMag’s Corey Robinson that Nick Samac may have beaten out Allen for the starting job. Robinson has good sources on this. This would not surprise me, in some ways, but would stun me in other ways. In the end, if Samac is good enough to beat out a proven player like Allen, then that’s a great sign for the center position for the future.

Now news is good news at o-tackle with AJ Arcuri and Kevin Jarvis. They have each played good football, and they have each had injury problems. If healthy, those two could and should be solid to good at o-tackle.

We’re hearing JD Duplain and Matt Carrick as the starting guards. That makes sense. They were functional last year. It’s time for them to take their games up another step as older men. And it’s time for the o-line to gel as a unit. There are five capable individuals in this group, and they’re working with a new strength staff and a highly- respected new offensive line coach. Add it all up and there’s potential for a major leap in this area. It won’t be hard to be better than they’ve been in the past two years, and these o-linemen are eager to prove themselves.


TIGHT ENDS

An area of question marks and need remains a thin spot for the team heading into the opener. Coaches indicated that Matt Dotson is still trying to come back from last year’s achilles injury, which took place 11 months ago. I have been wondering if the spring shutdown interrupted his rehab.

Coaches said last month that they would be counting on him. Maybe he has come back strong. I don’t know. We will learn more Saturday.

Trenton Gillison is a slippery receiver but as of 11 months ago was still a substandard blocker. Has he improved as a blocker? You’ll know when I know.

Adam Berghorst offered help as a blocker late last season. He added 20 pounds of man bulk. Can he help as a receiver? You’ll know when I know.

Former punter Tyler Hunt earned compliments of surprise from the coaches. They like him as an athlete. He’s not the biggest guy. But based on the rumblings, I’m expecting him to get some reps.

Max Rosenthal is a shortish guy at 6-2 who helped as a fullback/H in the past. This offense won’t use a fullback, but they’ll use a “move” H. He might be able to help there. He’s functional. But I wouldn’t expect him to be an impact guy.

Along with quarterback, tight end is one of the biggest question marks on the team.


DEFENSIVE LINE

* Michigan State is comfortable with its new defensive tackles. Jacub Panasiuk is a proven player at d-end and now it would be nice if he could become a consistent plus player. That’s possible.

At the other defensive end position, Drew Beesley is 20 pounds heavier and trustworthy. There is buzz that big linebacker Chase Kline (6-4, 235) will get time as a stand-up defensive end. Kline is a high-motor hound dog who could mesh nicely with that kind of role. Can he be an every-down defensive end against teams capable of sending power runs at him, like Iowa or Michigan? We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.

A platoon of Beesley and Kline would be interesting. Jack Camper impressed Dantonio early in his career but has been bothered by injuries. He said he was healthy all summer and was looking forward to making an impact this fall. Now he has his chance. He could be a decent second-stringer, or more. You’ll learn as I learn.

At defensive tackle, it sounds like Michigan State might be reloading. I hesitate to use that word until I see Naquan Jones on an every-down basis. But he has the goods.

He’s joined inside by Jacub Slade, who was a quality back-up DT last year and saw quality playing time. Teammates have had a lot of good things to say about Jalen Hunt; Dantonio liked his trajectory quite a bit, too, last year.

Dashaun Mallory (6-2, 345, R-Soph., Bolingbrook, Ill.) is an interesting prospect. On the practice field, his pure size made me stop and do a double-take when he was a freshman. He had to tighten up his girth. I wasn’t sure if he was a good prospect or just an uncommon sight. I didn’t hear much about him last year, but Mel Tucker offered some compliments for him last week.

“I really feel good about Slade and I feel good about Mallory and the way he’ll play,” Tucker said. “Jay Hunt has done a good job in there and we have some newcomers who are fighting like heck in there in the trenches.

“I feel like it’s a bunch of guys that are very well-coached. Ron Burton is one of the better coaches in the game. I’ve known him for over 20 years and he believes in physical football and being fundamentally sound and playing with real good pad level and hand placement and flat backs and hat speed, and you see that show up in the way his guys play. Obviously we have enough size and toughness and want-to there inside on the defensive line that we should be able to be stout in there and be able to control the line of scrimmage.”


LINEBACKERS

* I’m not sure whether Antjuan Simmons or Noah Harvey will be in the middle making the calls. Both are well-trusted. I heard there was a little frustration with Harvey at the outset of camp, getting things together. But he’s a proven player coming off a big bowl game.

Simmons is 10 pounds heavier, stronger and says he’s faster. The coaches love him. Could he go from good to very good this year? Maybe so, but he’ll be at a new position as an inside backer. He was a quality slot line backer in the past. Moving inside, with added weight, doesn’t guarantee improvement. When Greg Jones added weight as a senior, I thought it made him slower and less effective. I thought Max Bullough surpassed his ideal weight later in his career too. Michigan State has a new strength staff now, and Simmons is at a new position. Again, you’ll learn when I learn.

* As for the seventh player in the front seven, will it be a linebacker or a nickel back? I’ve heard Michigan State has prepared both, which isn’t big news. You always enter a season with a nickel package for passing downs. The question is whether Michigan State will go to a nickel defense as its base defense against most three-WR formations on first-and-10. That’s the way Kansas State played last year under Scottie Hazelton, MSU’s new defensive coordinator.

I’m expecting a fifth defensive back to start. I heard last summer that Shakur Brown was being considered strongly for the role. He added about 10 pounds. This week, with our ears to the ground, we heard more indications that Brown was going to be the man in the slot area.

That might seem a little strange, moving a CB to the slot area rather than a safety. If this turns out to be the case, they must simply want some quick coverage feet in the slot, and a guy who can throw his hat at the run game. Brown was pretty good in run defense as a CB, but if he indeed is the slot man, I’ll be intrigued to see how it pans out. I’m not making any predictions on it.

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If and when Michigan State wants three linebackers as part of the front seven, Kline can probably man that role. However, Jeslord Boateng was being groomed as a slot linebacker before the coaching change. If and when Michigan State goes with three LBs in the front seven, Boateng might be best-suited for the slot area. If Michigan State goes with Kline along with Simmons and Harvey, they’ve all become bigger type LBs. Maybe Simmons would move back out to the slot if and when Michigan State goes with a standard 4-3.


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By the way, if Kline happens to play a lot, or even start the game, as a stand-up defensive end, and Michigan State goes with Brown in the slot, that could technically be viewed as a 3-3-5 defense.

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CORNERBACKS

If Shakur Brown plays inside, I’m hearing Kalon Gervin and Chris Jackson nudged ahead at cornerback. Gervin played over a hundred snaps last year. He needs to be ready for more this year.

Jackson saw fewer than 20 snaps last year. He has rallied from the third string.

With Harlon Barnett back, some of the talents of these players will come out of hibernation.

Davion Williams is an excellent athlete, but hasn’t quite gained trust. Julian Barnett is a fantastic athlete too, but same thing. He is still learning, and not quite ready.

Dominique Long is a senior who has been a menace on special teams. He had opportunities at CB and safety in camp. Coaches say he will have a role. They love him as a person and a student, but I don’t think he has quite taken that next step.


* At safety, competition was still being waged throughout the week. Xavier Henderson is going to start. That’s a given.

He can play free or strong safety.

Henderson could play free safety and be paired with good-sized Michael Dowell.

Or Henderson could play strong safety and be paired with smaller but big-hitting Tre Person.

It’s my understanding that it was a competition between Person and Dowell as to who will be Henderson’s tag team partner. There are enough snaps, especially at high tempo, for all three to get time.

Could Person be well-versed enough to play some downs as a free safety with Henderson, and also replace Brown at times in the slot area?

The more you spread players around the plate, the better chance you’ll have for communication errors. Michigan State needs to stay away from busts. They had way, way too many of them in the defensive backfield last year under Paul Haynes. Barnett and Mike Tressel will get that fixed eventually, if not immediately. But the more that roles are spread around, the harder their job is.


SPECIAL TEAMS

* No news is good news in the place kicking department, I would think. Things have been a little shaky there the last two year with Matt Coughlin after a great start to his career. He has happy-go-lucky confidence.

As for the Australian punting transfer from UTEP, Mitchell Crawford, again, I haven’t heard a thing.

As for return men, I’m expecting Nailor or Reed. They’ve both done it pretty well in the past, at times.


ADD THE REST OF IT UP

Despite all the verbiage, I’ve never known less about two football teams prior to an Michigan State game since coming to SPARTAN Magazine in 1993.

Well, that might not be true, but it feels that way.

I think the players love playing and working for Tucker. I think that will show on the field. But Rutgers has players, too. They’re excited too. And, who knows, Rutgers might have an edge at quarterback.

Michigan State had better make sure they find a way to tackle Cruikshank on special teams coverage.

Lombardi needs to operate without giving Rutgers any gifts.

Michigan State would love to be able to give Lombardi a good running game, but Rutgers’ defensive front seven might be the best area of their team.

The key battle, in my eyes, is MSU’s potentially revitalized offensive line against a respectable Rutgers defensive front seven. Michigan State will try to run on their terms, as Tucker says. If they can, it could be a nice day. If they can’t, then more will fall on Lombardi’s lap. And the knuckles could get tight.

This isn't a prediction, but I'm expecting something ugly, like a 20-14 type of Michigan State win. So hard to say with Lombardi, hard to say with Sitkowski against what should be a pretty good Michigan State defense.

I'm starting this weekly piece where we give our score predictions for the game, followed by a short paragraph explaining our rationale for the pick. These will be posted every Friday.

SpartanMag - Staff Predictions: Rutgers

The SpartanMag.com staff gives their predictions for this weekend's MSU vs Rutgers game.

michiganstate.rivals.com

Thoughts?

Here is my recap of tonight's Mel Tucker Radio Show hosted by George Blaha.